Ordinary World
by vdaymassacre
Summary: YAOI. Birkin, Wesker, Chris. Finally a proper title, thank bejeezus!
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, first things first. I do not own Capcom nor Resident Evil, because if I did, it will be one, big, gay videogame. **

**Another thing, this story is _YAOI [male-male romance]_, and I had to emphasize that because I don't wanna hear people complaining "why the hell are there two guys going at each other in your story?!" You know, shit like that. The three main characters in this fanfic are: William Birkin, Albert Wesker, and Chris Redfield.**

**This story also contains a lot of cursing and then some, so beware. XD**

**Also, NO FLAMING PLEASE. I'm a good girl, unless provoked to be otherwise. ;)**

**Lastly, I thank thee in advance for reading my story, and liking it/faving it would be an added bonus to me, so thank you very much!**

**Reviews (but not flames and trolling) are greatly appreciated.**

**Thanks again, and I hope you like this story.**

** .com**

**I**

He woke up with a start.

After a disturbing dream concerning his past, he was back to reality and basked in the moment; all those times he was reluctant of admitting to himself that he was afraid of losing whatever he had right now, and if he wasn't careful enough just like before, these moments will only become a part of his memories—bittersweet, bittersweet memories.

Not long ago when he decided to finally stop and thought that he's had enough—to step out of the shadows and let go of darkness' long embrace; after all, he was known for his dark reputation as the harbinger of madness and evil, and he knew that he wasn't getting any younger. Although it hurts his pride that much, he had to admit that none of his plans have come to fruition; not a single one of them! He was intelligent, manipulative, and he was almost a genius, but then, it wasn't contributing much to help him stop in his failures.

He snapped out of his thoughts and shook it off. He might go insane if he contemplated on them for too long and for too much; besides, everything will be put into his past, he decided. It was a new day. For now, he would live in the present with a new-found relationship where he himself was surprised at whom he shared it with at the end of the day.

The sunlight trickled through the blinds and onto their bodies, the blankets barely covering their nudity underneath. He flung one eye open before the other followed suit. He turned to his sleeping lover and stared at him for a few moments—the new man in his life who brought a piece of an old story into this new relationship. He looked peaceful—and peace made him feel like a stranger. Nevertheless, he could say he was starting to enjoy it right now; it's something that he'd learn to get used to hopefully very soon. He then turned his attention onto the digital clock on their bed side; its face read "8:30" and it made him fully awake—not for himself, but for the man beside him, "oh my god! You're about to get late!"

Chris Redfield practically flew off the bed and scampered around while he pulled up his boxers. He charged into the bathroom and was halfway into stepping inside the shower when he stopped and realized what the date was. He went back out to the bedroom and leaned on the doorframe, giving a playful stink-eye to Wesker who sat in the bed with his knees up against his chest. Even Chris was mesmerized to see the man he once swore as his nemesis, to be this relaxed and laid-back, let alone to become his lover.

"What are you staring at? Do you really want to say goodbye to your job?" The blonde asked flatly.

"No, but I think you ought to say goodbye to our old calendar," Chris replied while pointing at the said outdated calendar on the wall. He took it down on the process and rejoined the other man on the bed, giving him a light kiss on the shoulder as he wrapped his arms around him. Things have been hard since they got together. Since the big staged fight in Africa three years ago, they were constantly on the move trying to find the safest state for them to live in. Chris knew that he cannot just simply quit his job—as much as it pains him to not be with Wesker all the time and spend the rest of their lives together in retirement, it was still too early; besides, he loved his job; even though it consumed most of his time. The older man never complained, though. He knew that one of the ways that he could get back to Chris was to let him do whatever is good for the world, and he was the only exception. He just sighed at the fact that if he was still the old Albert Wesker as he was before, they'd probably be killing each other already. Love is far stronger than them, and for its sake both men forgot each other's pasts.

They never left the U.S though, since Chris was serving the North American division of the BSAA. The States was the closest to the headquarters at a safe distance—and speaking of the organization, the BSAA doesn't have any idea of his affair with the notorious blonde they went after with, and Wesker's records in the BSAA pronounced him as "Deceased". That was all that was needed for them to close his case. Not even Chris' colleagues Jill Valentine or Sheva Alomar knew about anything, and he wasn't planning on telling about it to his sister Claire, either—not for now, at least. It was all too fragile. Since then they were too preoccupied in concealing their relationship that little things such as replacing old calendars received no attention at all.

"You need to relax, it's my day-off today," Chris assured as he pressed the older man against his chest. He knew how stressed Wesker was and that this was the price of 'eloping', but he was ready to stand for it—especially now that he was certain that he had fallen for his former captain the second time around, "just give us more time, all of this is gonna end and we're gonna make it through, okay?" Chris reassured as he gave the other man a long kiss on the forehead, "we'll make it, I promise." He ran his fingers through locks of blonde hair and held him tighter, as if expressing his want to never let go through the trying times.

Although Wesker had heard this promise more than a hundred time before from Chris, he never really grew tired of it. It may be false hope that radiated from those words, but it made him feel better everytime—it's probably because it's been more than thirty years ago since he had those words said to him, and he held on to that promise for a short time. He would've wished that Chris would do differently than his former lover whom he lost twice— first to a woman which that lover decided to marry for some reason, and second, losing the same man to a horrible tragedy back in Raccoon City.

It was good while it lasted, and the image of William Birkin flashed into his mind; he gave him his love and the other gave it back to him along with his heartache.

Suddenly, it felt like 1977 all over again.


	2. Chapter 2

**II**

_**[1977]**_

It was a sweltering summer day, and the forest outside the Spencer Mansion strangely teemed with life. The air-conditioning broke down, and the two boys had to venture away temporarily from the experiments that they were working on as the heat was suffocating, and working under these conditions stole them away from their concentration. Catching up with the cool summer breeze outside the garden would soothe the both of them before one of them suffers a heat stroke. The air-conditioner repair guys wouldn't be showing up in three hours—hey, it isn't easy to climb up a cliff and traverse through a thick grove of trees just to fix broken stuff. Why the mansion was in this kind of location only matched Dr. James Marcus' description of Umbrella's owner, Lord Ozwell Spencer, and it wasn't a surprise at all; why they couldn't just replace broken things with new ones despite of his wealth was a mystery.

The sound of cicadas tore through the usually silent mansion grounds. Verdant greens now colored the seemingly grey confines of the estate, and although Wesker never really cared about what his surroundings looked like, he found the change of color rather interesting. If not for the hellish temperature that they were both 'enjoying' right now, he'd have a better mood. The other blonde didn't really seem to mind at all, in fact William let the sun burn upon him while Wesker stayed under the shade that the big oak tree was providing him.

"You'll be on fire soon, Will. I do advise you to just end your misery and get in the shade before you turn into ashes," Wesker warned as he fanned himself with his right hand.

"You're not so keen on getting a tan, are you? Look at us, we're no different than those corpses we've been constantly working on," the slightly younger blonde replied while doing a little spin, "besides, it kind of feels good to see the sun again, isn't it?"

Wesker sighed heavily, "Whatever. I'm not planning on acquiring free skin cancer. It's ten in the morning and the harmful UV's have already taken over, you know."

William snapped out of his shallow trance and finally decided on joining Albert in the cool shade, "there, happy now?" William asked as his friend only gave out another sigh as a reply.

"Why can't they just buy a damn air-con? Are they planning on having those repairmen as new test subjects? You know what, Al? If the reason wasn't the latter, I think I have the right to say that they aren't so smart after all."

"I do not plan on pondering any further into those matters. You're a very intelligent guy, William, but sometimes small things distract you."

"Fine, you're so linear on our research! You need to let go a little, I think."

"I cannot afford to let these little things push through and create mistakes. I just want the research to be successful, and you know very well that failure isn't an option."

"But you said—"

"Don't make me say such words that are unfitting for a genius like you. It ends with what I said."

William just pressed his lips tight and leaned back against the tree quietly. Petty arguments wouldn't help them advance in their work, and so he shut himself up; Albert, however, rolled his eyes under his dark glasses. There were times when he couldn't stand William's childish antics, but after all, he was only sixteen and two years his junior.

More silence veiled the two boys as they sat beside each other in the same shade. Their lab coats were finally discarded and piled beside them as more minutes passed by. The cicadas' constant chirps were now starting to sound more like a lullaby, and the heat only added up to the lazy feeling. William knew that his friend finally gave in when he heard him snore softly, just as a sudden feeling of unease welled up inside him.

Albert has been in the training facility for almost a year now, and the feelings that William thought had gone from the day he first met the older boy came back with a vengeance—and the longer he stayed beside him it grew more intense, and he felt a sudden surge of emotions flow through him. He had no idea why for so long and out of the previous days it chose this particular hot day as some unknown force pressured him to do something. He wanted to leave him and go back inside the mansion, but he just couldn't. Some kind of strange power was pressing him to stay, and the young genius was silently confused—so confused that in fact he even inclined the broken air-conditioner to the strange feelings that he's having right now.

'_It's got to be more than a coincidence,'_ he thought, _'__if not now, when?'_

He finally gave up._ '__A really quick glance at Albert's face wouldn't hurt now, would it? '_William knew that the older man had been dozing off for a while now. Holding on to the thought that lingered in his mind a while ago, he used the opportunity to take his chance, but what was supposed to be a quick glance had turned into a stare, or more like an observation if he could call it. For some ungodly reason he couldn't turn away as his gaze carefully flowed upon his friend's every feature—from his almost perfectly chiseled face, then to his nose, and then down to his slightly parted lips—and it was that particular feature that made him swallow up. His lips were like a silent invitation.

His eyes feasted upon every detail, but stopped to wonder what the pair of eyes perpetually hidden under his dark glasses looked like. It's amazing how despite sharing the same room, he never had any luck of seeing Albert without those glasses. It seemed that everytime he thought he had the chance, it would quickly slip away. He felt annoyed, and for the first time in the past few months he had never been more eager to see him without it.

He continued to look at Albert almost longingly and soon enough the first signs of infatuation rose inside him. He had admitted to himself that he wasn't that attracted to the opposite gender, especially when all of the girls whom he once had crushes on found him weird and uninteresting; from then on he considered them nothing more than a nuisance and a waste of his precious time.

But Albert was way different.

When he first arrived at the mansion as a fellow candidate for the executive board in Umbrella, William was quite surprised that someone else matched his genius. He had a cool, dark atmosphere surrounding him, and he commanded authority without the words escaping from his lips. If there was going to be anyone in competition with William, it was Albert, and he deserved it—they were both young and they had a lot of talent.

At a relatively short time they grew closer, and their brilliant minds sparked a friendly competition between the two young prodigies. William never really knew what the other blonde thought of him, but he knew that if there was anyone in the training facility that he would want to be friends with, it has to be Albert Wesker. And currently, he'd probably want to be more than that with him; he never questioned his theories, he appreciated his research work, criticized him when he needed it, and most of all he matched his level of intelligence—Albert was everything that he was looking for that he couldn't find among all those girls; they clearly had nothing against him.

It isn't hard to develop feelings for someone like Albert; he was good-looking apart from having a lot of brains, and he feared that those attributes would get him a girl in no time. If that's the case then, he'd probably be in the 'friend zone' all their lives. That certain thought finally made him turn away from looking at the other boy, who after all was looking back at him all along, but because his eyes were concealed William thought that he was still napping.

"I can read almost every emotion drawn on your face," Albert suddenly spoke, startling William. He almost jumped off the ground in utter surprise, "s-sorry, I know it's rude of me… look, I-I better go back inside, I guess I'll be seeing you later then," he said hastily as he got ready to stand up, but he was pulled back rather forcefully by the much stronger boy, and now he had William pinned down on the cool grass. Their spot on the large mansion garden was virtually empty save for the both of them, so whatever that they may do or may be doing would be left unseen, since that certain area is a blind spot to anyone or _anything._

The sun crept higher on the sky, casting longer shadows on Albert's face as he hovered above William, "do you find me interesting?" He asked. The slightly smaller boy's heart raced furiously inside his chest; he didn't know whether to be excited or scared. He may be intelligent, but he isn't capable of reading other people's minds, "Al-Albert, I'm so—"

"Answer my question, William," Albert pressed down on the boy quite harder who was clearly confused and afraid. Albert can see it in his friend's sky- blue eyes. It was making him feel hot, and his breathing was getting faster—he liked this a lot, and William never knew how he waited for this. He was getting impatient, though, and he demanded an answer from the other boy by pressing on him again, "Answer my question, Will… I won't hurt you," he said as he tried his best to conceal his emotions.

William grew more nervous, but he felt awfully pressured, and the longer Albert stared at him while waiting for an answer, he grew more anxious. After a few more seconds of hesitation he was finally forced to reply, "y-yes, Albert… I…" He was shut with their first kiss. William's eyes grew wide with surprise. At first he was quite reluctant, shy, and rather embarrassed, but after a while he got the hang of it and finally opened his mouth to welcome the other boy's tongue. William finally managed to take off Albert's glasses in the process, finally revealing a pair of cloudy blue orbs set inside a beautiful pair of eyes. He had never felt more exhilarated especially that he wouldn't wonder what he looked like without the damned glasses anymore.

A few breathless moments later they broke off, "Al, I like… I like you… a lot," he finally finished while catching onto his breath. A smirk crept upon Albert's face as he heard those words. He gave out a light chuckle at the younger boy's innocence as he stroked his cheek affectionately. Oh, how he always gets what he wanted—under him laid William; so perfect, so fragile, and it enticed him even more to have him.

A while ago William expected a punch in the jaw or a shower of curses out of disgust, but it was otherwise. He kept on blushing, though, and there was no way that he could hide the fact that this must be how love feels like. Little did William know that from the very first day Albert saw him the slightly older blonde promised upon himself that he would own the boy in more ways than one; he would make him every inch his possession. He started to think that he was practically obsessed, and he may not be able to wait until William was of legal age. He was too beautiful and naïve to pass up. "Al—you're not upset are you?" William asked sheepishly.

"Oh not at all, I am pleasantly surprised to find out that we share mutual feelings for each other," another smile crept upon Albert's face, "I've always wondered what you taste like when I first saw you."

William's face felt even hotter. He felt like he was about to explode any second, he never expected that he would get Albert this way on what he considered this fateful day. His big eyes were glued against Albert's in surprise, and he knew that he wasn't dreaming when he learned that he liked him from day one too.

"It's almost lunchtime, Al… everyone's away on a break," he finally managed to say coyly.

"And what are you implying, my dear?" He asked as he wet his lips.

"I want to," William's voice grew smaller as he finished his sentence, "I want to do it…"

"You're a feisty one, Will, and you're not even legal yet," Wesker mocked concern, but the truth was he couldn't even contain himself and he was growing impatient; he just wanted to take William right there and then, but he still managed to think about how comfortable their first time should be.

"That doesn't make much of a difference…"

Albert gave out a snicker, "very well. It's your call."


	3. Chapter 3

**III**

_**[Present day]**_

"So Wes- I mean… Al, since I got today free, how's about I make up for all the busy weeks?" Chris asked enthusiastically. Calling Wesker by his first name still felt new to him, but lovers don't call each other by their last names—not that he knew anyone who did; hell, even Wesker always called him by his first name way back when they still promised their vendettas upon each other.

Albert tilted his head to the side, "make up for it? You could've just told me that you want sex, Chris. You don't really have to sugar-coat your words, really," he said bluntly.

The bigger- built man laughed heartily, "no, silly. If I wanted it I would've told you so right away. Besides, that would be for tonight," the blonde blushed a little, "I'm going to try and make breakfast without almost burning down the place." Chris thoughtfully recalled what happened the last time he attempted to make omelets—the gas range exploded and almost singed his eyebrows, "see you on the table," he winked.

Chris disappeared into the kitchen as Albert drew the curtains. The sun was blinding, but it made him feel light. He was used to the vastness of the night and how that time of day was perfect for him to unfold all his schemes, but today, as with the days before at the start of his life together with Chris, will forever be different. He was determined to take a backseat from all the killing, the planning, and betraying—he had never felt more sick and tired. Working his ass off for nothing—it was all too much to handle anymore. I t wasn't just Chris who was stopping him short; there were other people too. He figured he'd die trying, but that's just a waste. He always believed that time was a very important essence, but it can also slip away if not used properly—at least that's what he thought he does with it.

Wesker stepped into the bathroom and washed his face first. He looked at himself in the mirror and realized how long it had been since life became 'normal' for him. He had wrinkles, but the virus prolonged his youthful appearance and if there was any benefit of the virus that he'd be thankful for, youth was one of them. People wouldn't think that he could be Chris' father or something in his age.

While he showered, he regretted not having a life like this with William; maybe if they had only talked things out calmly and provided time for it, he wouldn't have lost him that way. Two months before William's tragic death in September 29, 1998, he left him in that campy surveillance room without a word. That date couldn't be erased from his memory forever, when he lost the first person he considered he really cared about. He thought that it was one of his ways to get back at him for marrying Annette. He felt revelry in seeing him helpless in the middle of a critical situation as having his secret experiments with G exposed by the very company he's been working for. They had ceased to do anything anymore after that; he thought that they were done for.

He felt like a fool; expecting William to file a divorce against his wife during a time like that is close to impossible since she helped him so much in his research. He wanted to kill them both, but he had his personal goals of stealing G from William so he let them go on. He let them do what they had to do as he watched them work together with guilt, anger, and heartache—mostly jealousy. He felt that he had become insensitive to his feelings anymore. His affair with William Birkin was nothing but a hollow shell compared to what they had in their early years together. William isn't as strong as him, but the doctor basically crushed him to pieces without even using his hands.

He had a different situation with Chris, however; their relationship was built on a lot of hate. Unions like that are most likely to crumble in no time in his opinion, but almost two years together started proving him wrong. It turned out that all the suspicions, doubts, and mistrust earlier on only made their bond stronger. Just when he thought that the word _'__love'_ had already disappeared from his vocabulary after William's death especially, this former subordinate and enemy of his rewrote that damned four-letter word in his little book. He was almost embarrassed at what he became after several years. Surely Dr. Birkin would be laughing his ass off at him from wherever he is right now, but furious at Chris at the same time for 'stealing' what was formally his. He isn't mad at William despite of all the wrong things that he's done, but he wanted to raise his middle finger at him for being a jerk, anyway.

But then, a dilemma suddenly formed in his thoughts—if he still had William now, would that mean he would have to hate Chris for all eternity and share the other blonde with Annette? Maybe he could manipulate William into finally making Annette one of his guinea pigs… no, he'd still have to kill William himself to get G, and he wouldn't want that of course. He still loved the man. He was thankful to him for giving him his 'superpowers' too. It may sound inappropriate but he felt a little thankful that William didn't die in his hands, or his conscience would tear and claw at him to his grave.

Wesker turned the shower off and shrugged the new wave of thoughts away. William's death must have paved a new way for Chris, and the younger man is starting to carve a bigger space in his life. He once said something about their fates being forever intertwined before, but he didn't expect that those words would mean that they would end up being together. He knew that Chris liked him even way back in their S.T.A.R.S days, but he just couldn't pay attention because of his what- he- now- considered- stupid- plans of owning the world.

He dried himself and put on fresh clothes, and then he suddenly realized that he'd also fallen for Chris as time went by, and he just didn't know how to express it.

Chris was thankful that no mishap showed up while he made pancakes—just the clutter and the scattered egg yolks and flour along with the bowls and mixing utensils. Wesker, being the neat, almost obsessive compulsive person that he is wouldn't appreciate his efforts of being as neat as possible, though; and sure enough he almost exploded into pieces upon seeing the mess before dashing off to clean it up quickly upon instinct.

They ate quietly and pondered at what to do for the rest of the day. "Hey, Al, is it okay if we take a little stroll and have lunch outside?" Chris asked as he shoved a mouthful of pancakes into his mouth.

"The laundry is piling up and we could drop them at the cleaners, I suppose that it's a good idea," Wesker replied as he drank orange juice gracefully. Chris wondered if the liquid even got into his stomach because he drank so slowly it seemed that time was being slowed down.

"So, are you getting used to all this… silence?" Chris asked as he pointed his fork at the other man.

"Maybe… it still bores me though; especially everytime you leave me alone in this place. The television failed to amuse me at all, and I'm afraid that if I use the internet your organization might trace your IP address."

"I know they would. It's tough and I'm sorry; I know it isn't like you. But I try my best to come home as often as possible, don't I? Frankly, it's like coming home to a wife, and I like that feeling. It's like I finally have a valid reason to come home as fast as I could," Chris joked lightly. He knows how much Wesker hated the feeling of someone else dominating him, but he, the great Chris Redfield, is a different story. He smiled at the thought. "Don't worry, Al. After this mess is through we'll go somewhere else where we can be safer… somewhere we can be free or something."

"That's a nice plan for you to think about. Anyway, Chris, I know that it's been quite a while since we got together, but I still haven't asked you this one silly question…"

"Fire away, baby," Chris flipped a pancake onto his plate and poured on maple syrup on the top generously—or perhaps excessively that he almost downed one bottle of the sweet liquid.

"All those times when we were apart, why didn't you choose Jill? I mean, why didn't you choose Jill over me? She's perfectly capable of being your life partner and you've known each other ever since I knew both of you even existed, and you don't try to kill each other… most of all; she's a woman and should be able to give you children. Besides, you wouldn't have to hide like this."

Chris laughed heartily at Wesker's unusual innocence and slammed his fist on the table, "god, Wesker! I mean, Albert! If I liked Jill I would've done that during those times you said when we were apart. I like Jill as nothing more than a good friend, and not more than that. I let myself to live alone because believe it or not I hoped that one day you'd get back to me, you know? After all the shit that we've been through, can you believe I still waited for you? It's insane…"

A small smile crept on Wesker's face, "it is."

"If I had wanted children I would've had Jill as well, but as I said," Chris sighed, "you know, Albert, I loved you… from the start."

Wesker's ears felt hot. It felt like forever since someone said 'I love you' to him—well actually, it has been thirty-five years ago, in fact. He felt flattered and he felt the urge to at least hug Chris, but that's not him—he has to have a little bit of his old self intact. All he said was, "you do?"

"I really do. This may sound cheesy, but… the first time I saw you, I couldn't forget you. And then I learned that you still had that crazy-looking blonde guy working in Umbrella with the long white coat…"

"That's William Birkin for your information, and he isn't _'__crazy-looking'_, he's just overworked! He isn't just some guy with a long white coat to me…"

"Right; anyway… I was disappointed. Of course you wouldn't know that—you're not supposed to…"

Wesker chuckled lightly at Chris' confessions. For the first time he felt that everything was in place despite of their challenging state, "of course you wouldn't want the other members from Alpha team to know about you."

"That was one thing. I still haven't come out yet. During my alone times I kept myself busy in training and stuff like that. I never had anyone, even with this face," Chris said jokingly as pointed at himself.

"You have a problem that is your sister and your friends. I have no one to come out to and no one would care if I was gay or not—well maybe Excella, but she's dead and I don't give a shit about her either. I wanted to be alone before you came."

Chris laughed for the second time and motioned for the older man to come closer. As soon as they sat beside each other, Chris held his partner's hands and squeezed it tight, "and I don't give a shit about what other people would say too. I just need the right time to say everything about us, okay? I'm crazy about you, Al… I love you..."

Wesker kept silent. All those words of sincere affection were all too much for him, and he didn't know what to say or do.

"Did you hear me, Al? I said I love you…"

"I… I guess I… feel the same too?" He was embarrassed at himself to say those words, but he didn't have time to feel any further when Chris suddenly stood and lifted him up to carry him back to the bedroom, "I guess the dishes can wait," he said as he threw his lover onto the bed and pinned him down.

"But you said this thing is for tonight?" Wesker asked in amazement. Whatever has he done to deserve this so soon?

"Nah," Chris replied as he kissed the other man gently.


	4. Chapter 4

**IV**

Chris was sure that a life with his former captain was all what he had wanted all along. It completed him. He felt the older man's slender form under him, and placed kisses all over. It exhilarated him more that he knew that he was his possession now; and it felt like nothing happened in the past—that's right, he completely tried to forget what Wesker had done before, all in the name of his emotions. He didn't want to be angry at him anymore, although there were times when he still remembered the fallen men who fell into Wesker's trap that night at the mansion. He gave out logical reasons as to why his current lover did it, and only blamed one thing responsible that is Umbrella. _Wesker hated Umbrella and had caused its downfall_, Chris thought, _only to recreate something much more sinister though, but it doesn't really matter…_

But hey, he trusted Wesker now. The former said that he was done causing havoc, and that he was sincere about that. He was apologetic about the things that he knew he had done wrong, and to the people he once took as victims—except for Excella Gionne, though. It all felt so surreal. The fight in Africa gained him the opportunity to dispose of the woman. Wesker knew about Excella's feelings towards him, and he just wasn't interested; he doesn't like pushy people, and his eyes were set on someone else that's more obvious. Excella's talents were all that he had ever wanted, and he was successful at using them. Thoughts of global domination still lingered in his mind, but he wasn't getting any younger, and he constantly reminded himself that he's had enough. He never blamed Chris in all of his interruptions before. He liked him, especially now.

Chris' hand found its way under the older man's shirt, and up to his pectorals. His tongue did the same thing to the side of his neck, and Wesker felt helpless everytime. He coerced his back so that Chris can place his other hand under it. He wrapped his arms around the man as they proceeded on kissing passionately, thoughts wanton-like and ready to give in anytime as the younger man started to descend down to his groin—that is until they heard a series of knocks on the door, "damn, who the hell could be destroying our fun time?" Chris said, clearly disappointed.

"You know, Christopher, leave the rest of the action for tonight. I'm going to get dressed so that we can go early," Wesker said, still dazed and his hair unruly.

"Alright, whatever you say," Chris replied as he went to answer the door. When he opened it, three young girls in their scout uniforms stood in their front porch, "good morning! Would you like to buy some cookies for only $5? Your purchase would mean a lot to us, and your money would go into our foundation!"

Chris stared at the girls with his mouth slightly ajar, and he wanted to slam his head onto the wall as he fiddled in his pocket for a stray $5 bill.

_**[1980]**_

It was William's 18th birthday, and Umbrella let him take the day-off. Wesker went with him, of course. How could he miss it? William was finally legal, now he can stop feeling like a pedophile of some sorts. He was only two years older than him, but the number 18 still makes everything right in his opinion. They strolled through town casually and ate at a fancy restaurant. Their finances weren't a problem—besides their handsome paycheck, Umbrella paid everything at their expense for their top researcher's special day. Two years ago they were transferred to an underground facility in the Arklay Mountains, and if they cared less about William, they wouldn't have built that structure only for him to research on a new virus that was to be called "G".

If there was one thing that Wesker remembered dearly about William, it was how he laughed. He could belt out one like there was no tomorrow, like he poured all of his energy into it, and it was contagious. If there was one thing that William remembered dearly about Albert, however, it was his blunt sense of humor. He looked serious, but it was how he delivered the funny words without even smiling or trying too hard. It was just there, and they were a perfect pair.

"Happy birthday, Will…"

"Thanks, Al. Can we toast? I'm finally legal, you can stop feeling guilty now everytime we do it," William said with a chuckle as he raised his glass. "To many more of your birthdays to come," Wesker said as he raised his.

"And to more years of us being together," William replied and their glasses clinked as they drank up the champagne.

"By the way, I have something for you," Albert said as he rummaged his pocket. The birthday celebrant's face lit up with excitement as his lab partner-slash-lover handed him something small but elegantly encased in an expensive-looking gift box.

"Oh, Al, you shouldn't have bothered!"

"Please, go on and open it. I sincerely hope that you will like my little gift for you."

William did so, and pulled out a gold locket. He cupped his mouth with his other hand as it sparkled when it caught the light, and judging from the looks of it, he knew the price tag wasn't a joke. It wasn't the price value of the gift; it was the emotional value that mattered to him. He clasped it tightly in his palm and reached out for the other boy's hand, "thank you. I would treasure this forever, Albert." Eventually, it would be where William would keep a sample of the G-Virus in the future.

Back in the research facility, the two boys went straight to their private quarters. That area was exclusive for the two of Umbrella's high-ranking researchers only. It was a useful advantage for the both of them.

Albert managed to lock the door behind them while he was busy with William. He pushed him quite roughly against the wall and went on locking lips with the other boy as soon as they got in. The latter wrapped his arms around Albert's neck tightly, "the bed," was all that he managed to say breathlessly.

Clothes were dropped to the floor, and things got more heated up. The passionate kissing continued, and their bodies reacted to the touches. The slightly older boy went down further and took him in by the mouth, as the other moaned his name lustfully. When he felt that they were both ready, he excused himself to do their deed properly and make things less painful and less bloody by lubing up. It was set.

Wesker intertwined his hands with the other boy and raised them above William's head. In no time he was pushing himself inside the latter repeatedly. William wrapped his legs around the other blonde's waist to absorb the force of the thrusts. He felt pain and pleasure and everything in between—he felt satisfied, and he was almost at the edge of losing control of his body. He was breathing and sighing his lover's name at the same time. The pleasure was all too much to take that he felt his eyes roll back into his head, and when he felt like he was at his limit, he finally let go and erupted.

Albert ignored the stains that striped his chest, and let go of William's hands instead. He turned the younger boy over and gently twisted one of his arms to the small of his back, securing it in place. They had shifted into another position and William was on his knees. The bed creaked under the pressure that it was taking in, and the two boys didn't give a damn at whoever would hear how loud they were outside—not that anyone would go into that certain area anyway, unless Dr. James Marcus suddenly snaps out of his mind again and comes knocking onto their door to tell them to finish a research paper or correct a theory.

It took a short while to reach the height of their love-making, and Albert emptied himself inside the now-grown young man. They fell upon each other with exhaustion and caught their breaths, both feeling content, "Al," William's voice cracked, "I love you."

"Same here," Albert couldn't figure out why he can't say the same words as William said, though.


	5. Chapter 5

**V**

**_[Present Day]_**

Although Wesker had already ceased in his nefarious activities, he couldn't just leave his assets behind that quickly. In two years, he secretly cleaned up any evidence that he was still alive; he had Chris withdraw all his finances in various banks using another name, and then deposited into other banks from all over the world using the fake identity that they both had made up. In case the BSAA discovers what they were up to, they wouldn't know exactly who did what; that organization isn't stupid, but Chris and Wesker weren't stupid either. They played it safe and made sure that there would be no leaks. Killing wasn't an option anymore, but if it would be the only way, though, it wouldn't be too hard for either of them.

Wesker also dissolved his private armies—the undead ones. He never had any contact with the ones he sent in Rockfort Island and the ones he had in Operation: Javier; not that the majority of those people were still alive anymore anyway. If there was anyone who were, they probably wouldn't give a rat's ass whether he still existed or not anymore. The three virus samples he had acquired before, as much as it pained him; was finally surrendered to the U.S government by the BSAA. It was also Chris that presented those samples to make the proof of Wesker's death even stronger. The former knew how hard Wesker worked for those samples and how they almost killed each other over it, but it was the key to ending all the mayhem. He also appreciated that the older man wanted to repent, and suddenly his mind drifted off to the gutter while thinking of ways to 'punish' him. Chris hated how much his mind scatters most of the time. Now, the only remnants left of Wesker's previous activities were his money; and a whole lot of it. They could practically live only off it for ages to come, but they wouldn't want to be branded as slackers.

The two men sat quietly inside the car as Chris drove to the dry cleaners. Even though it has been quite some time, Wesker still gawked at all the life around him. The children were laughing and the women were chatting occasionally, along with a little music from a guitar that the homeless man on the roadside provided. He was still a little uncomfortable of the normalcy of the situation, but he had his wits intact. _'No, stop thinking about killing those people, no more… enough... you're too old for this,' _he scolded himself—every single damn day.

They stepped off the car and into the Laundromat. Wesker made sure he had his dark glasses on so he won't scare anyone along the way with his fiery orange, cat-like eyes. The dirty clothes piled up in only a span of three days and neither of the two men had time to do the laundry; Chris was always away at work and would only come home two days a week, while Wesker kept himself busy cleaning up his name and concealing his real status. The blonde also appreciated the fact that Chris would always try his best to come home at every possible chance that he can get.

"Hey, Al, do you still know how this laundry thing works?" Chris, who was always the one with the lighter mood exclaimed at Wesker who carried half of the dirty clothing on a basket.

"Do I look like a caveman to you? I always took care of my clothes myself, I never trusted anyone else to do the cleaning for me, if that makes any sense to you, Mr. Redfield."

"Well that's a fun fact. I always thought that you always bought new ones everytime you needed to change and threw the used ones away… it's just amazing how you can still have the time to do so. And no, I don't think you're a caveman, _Mrs. Redfield_," Chris mocked. Wesker hated being called by that name and grunted in reply.

Chris dropped a couple of quarters to both of the two washing machines and piled up all the clothes inside, while Wesker took care of the detergent and the fabric softener. It wasn't obvious to the other people in the laundry shop that they were a couple since they didn't share their affection to each other in public. The only thing that blew them off was when Chris smacked Wesker's butt playfully while he bent down to check if the clothes spun inside properly. Luckily, Chris had the right timing and nobody noticed. "You wait here while I get us some coffee across the street. The coffee in here tastes like shit." Wesker didn't actually like what the brunette did and expressed his disappointment by grunting again.

It hasn't been ten seconds since Chris had gone off to a nearby coffee shop when things started to spell trouble—not for Wesker, but for a group consisting of rowdy men in their early twenties to some in their early thirties who clearly had no idea who they were about to deal with. They consisted of seven people, and apparently they were the only ones who saw the little butt-smacking that Chris did to Wesker a while ago.

They were a gang who did various crimes around the city by robbing different establishments like banks and stores, and since today was their "day-off" they decided that they would just prey on innocent people and beat them up senselessly—while still robbing the Laundromat along the way after they're done with it. They found a victim that was Albert, and since they don't know who he was or what he can do, they had him as their target. Perhaps one could call them as 'homophobic', and that was one of the reasons that fired them up after seeing that little smacking show a while ago. They automatically knew the obvious that he was gay, and they hated people like that.

Wesker sat on the front row of chairs provided for the customers while they waited for their laundry to be done and was reading the newspaper quietly, when all of a sudden a hand slapped the thing away from his hands, "hey faggot, you liked that little thing your fuck-buddy did to your ass, don't ya?" One of the gang members spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. The other customers knew what was coming and cleared off to the sides while the worried owner got ready to press the alarm button. Some were too scared of the impending violence that they fled the shop without even getting their laundry.

Wesker kept his mouth shut and controlled his anger. He knew how much damage he can do and he avoided hurting those who aren't involved as much as possible, so he sighed and tried his best to keep calm as the other people started murmuring to each other. He didn't care, though. No one in that city knew him anyway.

"Hey, gaybag, do you hear me?" The same guy asked rudely as he pushed Albert on the chest harshly.

"Are you fucking deaf or something? Hey, bro, maybe if you show him yours he'll talk!" Another guy with a mean case of facial acne spat. The rest of the group laughed and gathered around Wesker.

"Okay, since you won't say a thing, how about having my buddy put on a fucking strip show for you and you give us all your money? You sure look like you have a hell of a lot of it, but it doesn't mean that we wouldn't kick your gay-ass though!" The one with his hair on dreadlocks said.

"You can also start getting the fuck down on your fucking knees and suck mine if you want to get a little 'wilder'… c'mon… get your faggot ass off the damn chair already!" The guy who pushed Wesker on the chest earlier commanded.

The words were easy to put up with, and Wesker stood up to try leaving the shop, but a bigger guy that clearly needed a shower stepped up behind Wesker and pushed him towards the rest of the group, while they laughed and called him names. The older man wasn't used to all this rather unruly behavior, and he was almost at his boiling point. He still kept the Zen mood while the gang kept pushing him around, and waited for himself to reach the limits of his patience.

"Leave him alone!" A woman screamed nervously at a distance.

"Shut the fuck up, broad!" One of the gang members replied.

The big stinky guy who pushed him from behind a while ago forced him to kneel as the other one who offered the striptease unzipped his pants and exposed his manhood, "there ya go, bitch, now start sucking so we can get all your fuckin' money!"

"You motherfuckers need Jesus!" Another woman screamed out of disgust and ran outside while she covered her son's eyes.

Wesker knew he had enough, and his bloodlust suddenly exploded inside him. He wasn't going to kill them, though. He didn't want to leave a big mess for Chris to deal with later—he'll just teach them a valuable lesson that they would never, ever forget; one that would make them remember what he taught all their miserable, useless lives. They'd make great test subjects, but he already left that behind, so he'll just use them as punching bags and training dummies—that would be great too.

He's had it, and suddenly he dashed behind their backs and snapped bones, dislocated joints, cracked ribs, broke jaws, and made mouths and noses bleed without any warning. No one saw where he was during those few seconds of ass-kicking; one of the abilities that the virus made his body do thanks to his beloved William. It was so impossibly fast and everyone's jaw dropped. All they saw were the limp, almost lifeless bodies of the thugs scattered on the floor like dead flies.

Wesker took off his glasses and wiped off some blood that had stained it with his shirt; and everyone saw his eyes— they were glowing like fire with the cat-like pupils dilated due to the sudden adrenaline rush. The gang members writhed on the floor in pain and saw those, too. They just couldn't manage to say a word or to express awe though; since they felt like they're better off dead.

Wesker stepped on the striptease guy's chest as he put his glasses back on, and being the superhuman that he was, that little boot to the chest almost dislocated his heart and almost crushed his sternum, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I just don't think that yours isn't big enough to satisfy me," Wesker said sarcastically as he stepped on the helpless whelp a little more hardly, "and besides, you're not my type." The guy coughed up blood and lost consciousness after that.

Chris ran through the door and only found out the remains of all the action, "what the fuck, baby? What the hell just happened here?"

"Oh, Christopher, the laundry's done," Wesker said as if nothing had happened.

Eventually, the other customers who were curious and brave enough to stay and witness all the action cheered and clapped, despite of the unusual power that Wesker had shown. It actually meant nothing for him, but ordinary humans found that feat otherworldly. They kind of saw him as a hero, anyway, since that gang threatened that part of the city constantly. Now they would think twice before doing their despicable acts; that is if they even had their brains still intact to think about anything.

The cops came shortly after Wesker had dealt with the culprits and asked him some questions. The people kept on cheering him on as Chris introduced himself to the police while his lover proceeded on collecting their finished laundry like it was a Sunday. They let them leave the scene and proceeded on bringing the gang members to the hospital to recover before they can arrest them properly.

Back in the car, Chris couldn't stop grinning. "So, how does it feel to be the good guy this time?"

"Shut up, Chris."

"Must have felt good, don't it?"

"I do not wish to talk about this any further. Forget what happened."

"Who were those guys, anyway?"

"Oh, them? They're my friends, Chris. Look how happy we were! Gods, Christopher Redfield, they're some thugs and they tried to rob me and the whole place! Still so slow to catch on," Wesker was best at being sarcastic.

"I already heard that line ages ago! Fine, if you don't want to talk anymore about what happened, let's go get some lunch, just as we planned."

"That's better."

"You were waiting for the right moment to beat some people up, weren't you?"

"That's it, no sex for tonight."

"Alright, alright! I'm sorry! I'll shut up, I promise…"

They stopped at a contemporary French restaurant and ordered lobster and wine for the both of them. Although Chris opted not to tell it to Albert because he feared for the lack of action later tonight, he was happy at his 'good deed'.

"Did you give them your real name, Al?"

"Of course not… I gave them a different one and I said that I'm only a tourist."

"That's my baby," Chris said with a smile. He found his lover cute, like he was a totally a whole new different person than that evil, homicidal, scheming bastard he'd known before.

After they were done they went on to shop some groceries. Wesker never did the shopping alone because he doesn't find that chore amusing if he was only by himself. Grocery shopping only humanized him a little more, or what was left of it, at least. It was a ridiculous thing to think of. He only had them delivered to him before. He and William only did the shopping only a few times before because they never had the opportunity to do so often. Still, he couldn't believe at himself for being able to put up with his new day-to-day life.

They got home later that afternoon. They didn't want to stay out in the open for too long, that would be unsafe and they had to take all the measures to have their secret secured. Chris offered to take care of dinner, but Wesker opposed because he didn't want any clutter like the one he saw this morning and said that he'd do it himself. Neither of them can cook and mostly relied on food books, but they got by after many failed attempts. Chris thought how funny it was when he saw Wesker try to cook for the first time on their early days together. He didn't know whether to squeeze him tight or make out with him because he found that sight endearing.

It was still a few more hours before dinner and they decided to take a little rest. They propped themselves on the sofa and got comfortable while they watched T.V together. This was one thing that Chris missed doing with the blonde as he held him close and kissed him occasionally. Tomorrow's going to be another work day, and he wanted to spend as much sweet time possible with the other man before things get hectic again.

"Can you stop touching me there, Chris? Have you become some kind of a pervert already?"

"Sorry… I'll wait until after dinner," Chris chuckled. He still kept squeezing Albert every now and then despite of the former's constant protests, and it was like a scene straight out of some cheesy romantic movie. Anyway, the bigger-built man enjoyed every moment and was almost completely into it when another invasive series of door-knocking ruined their mushy moments. They both looked at each other cautiously and waited for the visitor to identify its self.

When the knocking continued and there were still no signs of whoever it was, Chris stood up and turned on the monitor that showed the person on the other side of the door. He then quickly motioned for Wesker to go to the bedroom to hide himself, and Wesker followed his command lazily while muttering something about ignorant cretins and friends being like pests.

It was a long day.


	6. Chapter 6

**VI**

Chris finally opened up the door and saw his former mission partner Jessica Sherawat. He knew that this young woman had a thing for him, and although she was stunningly gorgeous, he wasn't attracted any. She also has a reputation around the workplace for being rather flirty. When their plane got stranded on some snowy mountain a few years ago, she asked him about Jill. So he talked about her since she asked for it, and Jessica got jealous. He also brought a lot of patience along with him in that particular mission, so even though the woman complained a lot he tried his best to bear with it.

It isn't his nature to be rude to other people too, especially the ones from the BSAA; he's just surprised at how Jessica knew his location. He got a little uneasy as he greeted her, "hey, Jess… long time no see…"

"Hey there, handsome… do you mind if I come in?" She asked. Chris hasn't even given out his reply but she had already stepped past him and went straight inside, "no… I… don't…" Chris whispered as he closed the door, but something caught his eye; there weren't any pictures of him together with Wesker, and mostly was him and Claire, but he kept one rare photo on a large frame on the hearth—and it was a quick candid shot of him stealing a kiss on Albert's lips. It was surprising how clear it came out when he printed it from his computer considering it was only him who took that shot, and Jessica was about to find out his biggest secret if he didn't think or act quickly. He needed to find a distraction.

"H-hey Jessica! Would you like something to drink? Coffee or tea, perhaps?" He offered as an excuse for him to pass by the fireplace as it was located near the kitchen door.

"Oh, Chris, always the gentleman that you are… hmm… I don't think I like anything, I only came by to talk to you…"

"Uh… why don't you take a seat and have something to drink! We… I mean, _I_ have some fruit juice and some, uh… cake," Chris offered yet again, hoping that Jessica would consider to even agreeing with him so he can pass by the hearth and not look awkward or guilty. _'Do we even have cake? I'm not even sure of it, goddammit!'_

"Alright, if you insist… cake would be lovely with whatever juice you have in here, thank you."

"Great! Be back at ya in a jiffy," Chris jubilantly replied as he quickly stole down the picture frame with him and Wesker while Jessica was busy looking around and admiring the house. It wasn't Beverly Hills per se, but the property that they got was an A-Lister.

Chris breathed a sigh of relief as he stuffed the photo in the kitchen drawer temporarily. Jessica doesn't know Wesker, but she doesn't know his real orientation too. Besides, if anything really untoward happens, his reputation at the BSAA would be put on the line. Jessica might squeal something about seeing a tall, blonde guy that lived with him to his other colleagues at the headquarters, and that would be how she could fuck things up. He could make up an excuse for Wesker as nothing more than a friend, who happened to sleep over, but Jessica was a curious woman, and she just wouldn't stop asking questions until she gets the juiciest details. Another thing is if Wesker even got discovered and he sits down with them, he might lose patience and finally kill Jessica on the process! Chris' mind was in tangles as he went to the fridge to get some orange juice and some cake—problem is, there wasn't really any cake. He still went out to serve the orange juice to Jessica first and he would just offer her something else, "sorry, Jessica. The cake was a lie… it was done a few days ago. We… _dammit_… I mean, I, have great chocolate- chip cookies though."

"Oh, okay… that's fine for me too, thanks," Jessica replied as she drew her breath.

Chris went back out shortly with a plate of the said cookies and sat down in front of her, "so, Jess… what brings you here? And how did you even know where I live?"

"I don't know, I was on a day-off and decided that this city would be great for me to have a vacation since I have a friend in this neighborhood. Can you believe it? It was such a coincidence!"

"That's… that's great, Jessica!" Chris laughed nervously and thought of moving to another place again, "and how did you find out about my house?"

"Funny you should ask, I showed my friend a picture of yours and she was like, 'hey I know that guy! He lives a few blocks away on that big house!' She even thought you were a celebrity, and I told her that you just saved up a lot of money from your salary. This is a great house, Chris. I love the architecture and the decorations… specially that one!" Jessica exclaimed happily as she pointed out on an Aztec sun dial.

"Thanks. How are you, by the way? Found a man yet?"

Jessica suddenly blushed and looked away shyly, then back at Chris. She gently placed her glass of orange juice on the center table and stared at her former mission partner straight in the eyes, "look here Chris, no I still haven't. Another reason I'm here is… you…"

Chris cleared his throat and tensed in his seat while he tried his best at maintaining his composure. This doesn't look too good from the way he sees it, "and… why is that? Can I help you with anything?"

"Please, don't play dumb with me Chris Redfield! I like you! I want you to be my boyfriend!"

"Are you fucking serious?!" Chris replied unwittingly out of surprise. He didn't mean what he just said, but he was too shocked at the sudden revelation to even consider his words. Wesker had a heightened sense of hearing, and although he was in the bedroom listening quietly, his fingers twitched and his blood pressure rose. He couldn't allow this to lead to anything, and he may act controlled this morning to refuse love-making until tonight, but this was too much already. He would still wait, though. He wanted to know how faithful Chris really was to him.

Jessica was clearly surprised at Chris' reaction too, but ignored it nevertheless, "of course I am! Chris… I've always liked you… from the very start!"

The brown-haired gentleman had a look of worry and embarrassment across his face. He knew that Wesker is listening, and Jessica is slowly taking off her coat. He knows what would come off next if he wouldn't find a way for her to leave, "uh, Jessica, look…"

"No, you look! You're the most gentle, caring, kind person that I've ever met and I don't care if you're older than me, I like you so much, Chris!"

"Y-you know what, the thing is," Chris didn't know if he should come out just to stop her from being completely naked or tell her about the angry, impatient lover he had waiting for him in the bedroom. He knew he had to give out another lie, "I… I have a boy—_fuck this shit…_girlfriend… already. So I… uh… I'm sorry?"

Jessica backed off with big look of disappointment on her face and got ready to leave instead. Chris just broke her heart into pieces, and now there's nothing more for her here, "I see," she said with dismay. She started sniffing and almost sobbed instantly.

"Please don't cry…"

"How can you tell me that, you bastard? You just fucking crushed me!"

"I'm really sorry Jessica, but I know that you're going to find a more suitable man for you very soon! You're beautiful, intelligent, and talented, I'm sure it's not going to be long before you find your soul mate… believe me."

Jessica lightened up a little bit and flicked her long, wavy hair, "fine, I understand… but if that man isn't right for me I'm coming back for you!"

"Surely you won't," Chris emphasized. Jessica didn't get it though. She fixed herself up and left with the plate of cookies untouched. Chris saw her to the front lawn and waved goodbye as she drove away in her car, "fare thee well, you bitch," Wesker suddenly spat as he mysteriously appeared behind Chris, who almost jumped in surprise.

Back inside the house, Chris kept on wooing and apologizing to Albert, who had been ignoring him for the past few minutes.

"It took you far too long to dismiss that damnable woman," Wesker said angrily as he turned to look away from the other man, who was kneeling by his side and rubbing his lap affectionately.

"I'm sorry, Al! I can't just send her away rudely. She's my friend, and believe m e if only I had known that she was coming I would've made up an excuse!"

"And that's why friends can be a bother."

"I know you never had any real ones, but I hope you'll understand me, okay? Do you forgive me now? Please, with a little more PG-67 A/W on top? Have you taken your shot of it, anyway, huh? I know you forgave me already, you love me too much!"

"You're too noisy."

"Please? Jessica is just a friend, I wouldn't betray you, baby!"

"I was already hungry, you know."

"I know, and I'm so sorry! I'll make dinner and clean up the mess real quick, I promise. Do you forgive me now? Huh? I'll even do the dishes!"

The older man didn't reply. Chris poked Albert's sides even though he knew it barely tickled him.

"Tch— how annoying… go away."

"Please?"

Wesker kept silent for a few moments before looking at Chris meaningfully. Usually he wouldn't say that he already did forgive him, he just showed it through his actions. He suddenly pulled the younger man closer by wrapping his arms around his neck, and kissed him heatedly. Chris already knew at the very instant where things would lead to, and their dinner was postponed until later in the evening.

They didn't do it in the kitchen to preserve the decency, and all the way while going to the bedroom they were kissing passionately. Finally after several hours of waiting, this moment had arrived. Chris' hands were at the right places; stroking and fondling as their tongues danced. His mouth ran on the sides of his lover's neck as they paused shortly to rid of their clothing. The brunette's eyes were laid on the other man's naked and slender form—it was sheer perfection, and he admired every inch of it. He kissed him again, and the other responded passionately. He descended down and let his mouth do the job of taking the blonde in. Albert was on the verge of pleasure and moaned the other man's name lustfully; he never knew how or where Chris got his skills, considering he never had any experience with other men before; if he was telling the truth.

When they felt that they were both primed to go to the next phase, they wasted no time. Chris got himself ready first, and he felt like he was about to go insane if he waited again for too long. He made things easier for the both of them, and when he was done applying it; he rolled the other man over so that he was lying with his front on the bed. He held the older man's hand and his other free hand held him by the hair. Of course, a little violence turned them both on.

He pushed himself inside rigidly and almost rhythmically. Nothing was too rough for Albert, and he required that. He didn't have to worry about the bleeding—hell, if he could take a rocket to the face what can a little violent thrusting do to him? Chris was used to all this roughness, and he liked it because they were both satisfied in the end. The best part was he never had to worry about hurting the other.

"You're doing it like an old man, Chris. Do it faster!" The blonde angrily commanded.

"Still the bitch, even in bed," he replied while he followed his lover's command. He knew that he finally pleased the other man when he started asking for more while saying his name out loud.

When Chris finally got spent, he kissed the other man's shoulder and whispered "I love you." He made sure that Albert got the message loud and clear, although the former didn't know why he can't just say the same words back, he just said a little 'thank you' as a reply.

They lay naked in the cold darkness and listened to each other's heartbeat. It's going to be another busy day tomorrow, Chris thought. He guessed waiting really is a part of a person's life. He had his arms wrapped around Albert, while the latter buried himself in his chest.

"I want to pay a visit to the Raccoon City ground zero," Albert suddenly spoke.

"Wow. Is there any special reason why?"

"It's William's birthday."

Suddenly, an SMS alert from Chris' phone shattered the deafening silence. He reached out onto the bedside table and got a message from HQ, saying that they had extended his day-off until tomorrow. Maybe the people over at the office realized how hard he worked and how he deserved a longer break.

"Sure. I just got an SMS from HQ; they also had tomorrow free for me. Those bastards finally knew how I worked my ass off for the past few months."

"Great. I guess we can go tomorrow then, at dusk. It isn't that far from here."

"Of course… maybe William's ghost talked things out at the headquarters."

"What a farce," Albert just wrapped his arm tighter around Chris. Truth was; he missed William badly, and he traditionally paid a visit to the said place everytime his birthday came up and whenever he had the chance.

That place had something that always made him feel weak.


	7. Chapter 7

**VII**

**_[1997]_**

It has been a year since Wesker became the captain of the S.T.A.R.S Alpha team. Nobody knew what he was really up to after he quit his position at Umbrella. He needed to grow and expand when he took the job—he needed every chance he can get to have more power and surpass the corporation. In the meantime, he acted just like every leader who had nothing out of the ordinary. His team conducted little missions and rescue operations, and he was good at it. He had no formal training in shooting guns, but his shooting skills wasn't far from the RPD's best marksman, Chris Redfield, who always seemed distracted everytime he talked to him. What distracted Wesker, though, was the fact that he still can't get over the day when William told him that he's going to get married. His mind drifted back on that one particular rainy day thirteen years ago…

William came up to him crying while he confessed that he got his current lab partner, Annette, pregnant. During that time, Wesker shifted to another position as an information officer and had left William's side. He didn't want to, but looking back he regretted to leave him because of what might happen, and the thing that he feared the most was now unfolding right before his very eyes.

He kept a straight face while William clung on to him, "Albert… I'm so sorry! I was careless and stupid, and now her parents wouldn't allow us to get away unwed," he sobbed, "I was a little drunk at that time, I swear it wasn't anything romantic, Al!"

Wesker didn't say anything and looked straight ahead. His heart crumbled to pieces inside his chest and he was silently fuming with anger. The love that he once felt towards the younger man was now washed away by hatred, "leave me now, William, before I lay a finger on you," he warned as he clenched his fists so tight that his palms almost bled.

"Albert, please, just hear me out! Can we just talk this over?"

"I don't want to hurt you, William. We have no more to talk about. Goodbye."

William felt defeated. His pride didn't do anything much this time, and left out in his misery, he stood up and left his anguished lover. It was all entirely his fault; if only he hadn't been so careless, if only he had been much stronger against temptation, if only… it wasn't too late to turn things around. He kept crying though, and covered his mouth to muffle out the sounds as he walked along the dark hallway back to his lab. He wouldn't be able to work properly like this.

Wesker, on the other hand, felt something warm in his eyes that flowed across his cheeks. He couldn't hold himself back anymore, and tears started rolling down freely as he shook with anger. He knew he had his own faults too, but William was responsible enough to be faithful while he's away. If only he knew how weak he was, he would've stopped caring about him; and if only he knew that William would be the first and only person to _actually _make him cry, he could've started paying more attention to his goals and ambitions. He hated how weak he also seemed when it comes to William, and he slammed his fists on his lap. He wanted to hurt himself and kill the lover who betrayed him, but he felt trapped. He wondered why loving a person too much resulted in bad endings like this.

After that confession, they tried hard to ignore each other, and neither of them talked to each other for quite some time.

His melancholy went fast-forward to William's wedding day a few months later. He watched at a distance and saw the new couple. When he saw how happy William looked while he walked with his bride on the aisle outside the chapel, it only became salt to his wounds. He kept his murderous thoughts to himself as the guests showered rice over them. It was a simple ceremony, but the mark that it left on his life was far too complicated. The new couple shook hands with the well-wishers and thanked them for coming as they headed to the reception at a beautiful garden setting beside the chapel.

Once yet again, Albert shook with anger and slammed his fist on the tree that he was standing against, and clenched his teeth. Apparently, William noticed him and saw his anguished face, just like what Albert had intended. He left the spot as William hurriedly excused himself to use the bathroom, but the truth was he went off to follow Albert.

He found the older man just as when he was about to step into his car to leave, "Al! Wait, please!" He screamed almost desperately.

"You once told me before that you had no romantic interest towards that woman. What a shame that I was such a fool and believed you. You're such a good liar, Dr. Birkin," Wesker exclaimed angrily as he finally stepped into his car.

"But Al, really I… her family and friends are there, I-I had to play along! Albert, I beg you, please…"

"Best wishes to the both of you," Albert said as he revved up his engine, but the other blonde held onto Wesker's hands firmly to stop him from even touching the gear.

"Al, I'm not giving up on us, and that's the truth, I swear to my death! You're the one that I really love, believe me!"

"Believe you? How pathetic. Now, would you be so kind to your new wife and step away before I run you over and kill you? I feel really tempted to do so right now, actually. You don't mean a thing to me anymore."

"Albert, if we could just please talk about this, you know you had your own faults too!"

Wesker paused and sighed heavily. He realized what Birkin had just said and finally decided on giving him a chance to explain himself. William knew Albert for the longest time and knew how to read his facial expressions, "meet me at midnight, same place as always," he said. Albert barely nodded and looked at William meaningfully before speeding off, catching the attention of his new bride, Annette. Even without the words, he knew Albert's reply more or less.

"Who was that?" The newly-wed woman asked her husband. Annette never met Wesker yet during that time since they worked in different departments and barely noticed each other.

"Just some old friend of mine," William lied, and it shattered him to pieces deep inside. This newly-formed union was a grave mistake for him. All the hurt was almost unbearable.

Later that midnight, William snuck away back to the research facility and into the exclusive quarters that he and Albert once shared. He had a faint hope of Albert to actually come, but much to his surprise, he was already there ahead of him, and he sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, "hurry up, William. I don't have all day."

The younger of the two quickly grabbed a chair and sat in front of Albert, close enough for him to put his hands on his lover's knees. He started explaining himself and humbled himself down while he talked. Wesker may have hated and swore murder to William before, but eventually he shed a little of his pride off and explained his side of the story as well. Both men finally realized their mistakes and apologized to each other. It's probably true when one says that first love never dies, and they silently believed in it.

Albert got up to leave when he felt that their talk was finished, but William grabbed him by the arm and turned him around, kissing him as he held on to the other blonde as tight as he could. He knew that no matter what had happened he just couldn't let go of Albert. It would be too painful to do so, and he cannot afford on letting their relationship to go to waste.

Wesker was caught by surprise and didn't have the time to push William away, but the kiss had already softened him, and he replied to it. He held the slightly shorter one of them by the waist, and ran his hands through his hair, and while they were at it they realized how much they missed each other during the past months. The hours they spent together after that midnight fell away as they made love on the waiting bed.

Albert snapped back to his senses when he heard a howl of laughter from the other people in his team. Apparently Joseph Frost had just delivered a joke, and those people didn't actually laugh at the joke itself, but at how corny it really was.

Until now, though, his secret affair with the good doctor Birkin continued, and he felt like he spent more time with him than with his family. He didn't want to be a home-wrecker, but he was with William first, and it was Annette that actually ruined their lives. He smirked as he justified that thought in his mind.

**The end of this story draws nigh! ****_-Author_**


	8. Chapter 8

**VIII**

**_[Present Day]_**

Chris hummed a tune from the radio as they drove to the crater formerly known as Raccoon City. It wasn't easy for him to see the fallen city again even after many years, but he didn't want to disappoint Albert at any rate; after all, that place was the strongest memory that was left of William, as with the rest of Chris' own family. He wasn't jealous at the doctor, and he actually felt sorry for him—even after learning from his sister that he almost killed her along with William's daughter, Sherry and a guy named Leon Kennedy, who was a rookie cop at that time. Because of an ambitious dream of completing a what-was-supposed-to-be a scientific breakthrough that was the G-Virus, it cost a whole city to realize their mistakes. He knew that William was mostly responsible for the tragedy, but it was all too late to blame the man for his actions.

They arrived at the site an hour before sunset, and Chris noticed the sudden somber mood that Albert had as soon as he stepped out of the car. Other people who had relatives that went along with the city's demise left letters or prayers and flowers on the perimeter fence, but that day they were the only ones in the area. The atmosphere was a little heavy, and it felt like the spirits of the dead were present when the wind blew past them. He became a little emotional as memories started flooding his mind, but he kept himself together. He can also feel how hard and painful it was for Wesker, but he kept coming back, and as if reading his mind, the former madman suddenly spoke, "this is the only way for me to ease the guilt."

"What do you mean?"

"When William and I met for the last time, I left him without a word. We had a fight because he barely had any time for me at all. His wife was starting to go insane with him. I tried my best to understand because I know the feeling of being pressured to succeed at something, but it was already too much. It was two months before his death, and I thought that we didn't have the proper closure…"

"Then why didn't you see him afterwards and apologized?"

Wesker gave out a dry laugh and looked down at his feet, "I was too proud for that. Besides, I was too busy laying out my plans, and you know it quite well. My ambitions blinded me."

"Yeah, and of course, both of you are hanging over the edge during those times, you told me that Umbrella was on the verge of exposing William's secrets," Chris chuckled lightly.

"Exactly… all that was left were the 'maybe if only I did this and that' scenarios in my mind."

"We learn from our mistakes. That's life."

"Yes, for the lack of a better term… but you need to lose something to gain something back."Chris shot him a questioning look, "maybe if I didn't lose William I wouldn't have met you… and I wouldn't have completely changed my life. It's just so unfortunate that the whole city went along with him."

Chris smiled heartily at the other man, and went close to embrace him, "and I wouldn't have met you either, I'd probably be still lacking something if I didn't, especially after losing my remaining family back there." Wesker sighed and fixed his gaze at the setting sun. "You know what, Al? I'll get the champagne and the flowers, let's t offer a tribute to the lives lost in the tragedy… and to William." The blonde nodded as Chris went back to the car to get the said drink and a bouquet of fresh gardenias and forget-me-nots.

They walked closer to the perimeter and Chris muttered a silent prayer for the dead. Albert knelt down and offered the flowers for his deceased friend, former research partner, and ex-lover, "goodbye William, and thank you", he whispered. He wasn't able to cry anymore, his tears must've dried up when he let it all out on that one particular day when William told him that he was getting married.

"Hey, Dr. Birkin!" Chris yelled out onto the horizon, "wherever the heck you are, I hope you don't mind if I take over Albert from you, and please don't worry about him, he's in good hands!"

The older man snickered and poured champagne over their glasses and onto the ground. The fading sunlight gave out beautiful hues on the liquid, as it seemed to glow due to the reflection. He decided to play along with his lover, "and he promised me that he wouldn't marry some woman he worked with. I hope you enjoy the other side with your wife!"

Chris shook his head in disbelief, "stop with the bitterness, Al! I did promise you that, but can you please just let him rest in peace?"

"Fine, then… I propose a toast for William, and for the countless others who died here."

"To William, to my folks and friends, and to the citizens of a lost city," Chris exclaimed as he raised his glass.

Albert did the same, "to my past friend, colleague, and lover who gave me a lot of trouble… love, and heartbreak. Goodbye forever, William Birkin, I would do my best to move on, but I shall never forget you… I love…" he looked at the brunette as if he was asking for a reaction or an approval as he finished his sentence, "I… love you…"

Chris smiled at the embarrassment that colored Albert's last words; he hoped that maybe now he could learn how to say those three simple words without feeling a little less of the person he used to be, "it's okay… may William's soul rest in peace, as well as the others."

Their glasses clinked, and they each took a sip of their drinks silently. They reminisced a little and shared fond experiences from their days at the R.P.D. It even went as far as when Chris and Joseph did little pranks on the other S.T.A.R.S members from both Alpha and Bravo teams. They shared a laugh or two, and it still mesmerized Chris to see his former captain to sincerely laugh a little. After they were done, Chris held Albert closer and kissed him on the forehead, "let's go."

Both men held their emotions inside, and mainly relied on each other's strength not to budge. They left ground zero just as it became dark, and somehow their chests became lighter. They felt more energized and inspired, and they knew that their visit was well-paid for its worth. Albert's bitterness faded away, and he thanked William in his thoughts for teaching him a life-long lesson which was to appreciate the people whom you spend every day with; to let them know that they mean a lot to you, and that you give importance to them before they pass on or it becomes too late. If you fail to do so, you would end up having regrets, and regrets eat a big chunk of your life away, before it spits it back out as waste.

They stopped at a nearby beach and let the ocean air calm their nerves. Chris looked at him and he looked back at those auburn eyes; vast and infinite, endless like a void, unconditional, with a hint of a hidden fear of the unknown, but there was one thing that he was sure he felt existed in those eyes—sincerity, which was something that he desperately needed, and something that he had never experienced. They kissed, and there was this positive feeling…

It was most probably love, as it felt far much stronger than anyone of them.

**_[The End]_**

******_Thank you all for taking the time to read this story! After 2 years I suddenly popped out of my underground bunker again!_**

_**Wow, it feels good to breathe natural oxygen once more.**_

_**Until the next story [hopefully]!**_


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